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07/07/2009 08:37:50 PM · #1 |
I know this is extremely early but I have a few questions I need some help with. Every year my volunteer firehouse has a breakfast with Santa Clause and for the last three years I have been the photographer taking the pictures of the kids with the fat man. I usually construct a 4x6 frame in Photoshop and then import the pictures, lay the picture behind the frame on another layer and then print it out. This takes forever and the lines, as you can imagine, become very long with hostile people.
I was wondering what anyone on here would suggest for speeding up the process? I use my HP Photosmart 8450 to print but I wonder if it would be worth looking into a faster printer for these pictures. Maybe one like the ones in the Walmart stores or CVS pharmacies? We usually rotate about 4 cf cards to try and keep up. It is a good fundraiser for us, but I want to be sure we do a better job this coming year.
Again, I know this is early in the year, but I would like to be prepared early so there are no surprises. |
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07/07/2009 08:41:54 PM · #2 |
| Have you tried using batch processing in Photoshop or even lightroom? "Scripting it" or are there to many irregularities? |
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07/07/2009 08:45:56 PM · #3 |
| I think the problem with it is that I am doing like 3 or 4 pics at a time while they wait. I am not taking all the pictures and then printing them later. They expect their pictures on the spot. |
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07/07/2009 08:56:21 PM · #4 |
I'm just curious.. Why is it taking so long.. Are you having to pull out the card, then put it in your puter, then open it in PS, then create the document and print it out ??? I'm wondering if maybe you have 2 printers & 2 computers doing the same work it would cut down the time right there.. You could set up a "print station" for the people after they have their image taken and have someone who's familiar with PS do the uploading of the image and printing it..
I would think that once you have PS open, all you need to do is delete the layer that has the previous person's image on it, open the next one in line to print, sharpen it, then print it and so on.. Basically your print station should always be idle & ready to print, all that needs to be done is the image card inserted into the computer & opened..
As for a faster printer, well, I guess there's a million of those out there.. I'm thinking if maybe another person could volunteer their computer and bring their printer too, it would cut down on alot of waiting time right off the bat.. Just a thought though.. :-) |
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07/07/2009 09:01:00 PM · #5 |
What I normally do is set up my imac and my printer and sort of run back and forth. When the lines get long I have someone else shoot the photos since I already have the camera set up and then I work the computer. I tried a 2nd printer once, but the results from printer to printer were different.
Maybe I could get a pre-printed custom frame and then all we have to do is print the picture and put it in the frame. Is that possible? |
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07/07/2009 09:13:23 PM · #6 |
You need some evles : )
Are you hooking the camera to the computer by firewire or usb while shooting? That would save a couple of steps and time.
You could also network the camera connected computer to several others and all the computer/printer units could be sharing processing and printing at the same time.
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07/07/2009 09:46:44 PM · #7 |
I would think doing it like the local malls do would definately save time.. The local mall in my city just has a pre-printed frame and all they do is print the image, place 1 image in their already designed frame and then hand me the rest of the images not even cut.. So, if I also get wallet size images, they are still on a 5 x 7 size sheet of paper and I have to cut them out when I get home..
I'll try and see if I can find a site that sells the pre-printed frames.. |
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